Zhang Zhongjing, a native of Nanyang, Henan Province, was a medical scientist in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Born on March 4, 150 AD (the 18th day of the first month of the 150th year of the lunar calendar,{sys:(year(now)-150)} years ago), he died in 219 AD at the age of 69. He was born into a declining bureaucratic family, and his father, Zhang Zonghan, was an official in the court. Due to his special family conditions, he came into contact with many classics since he was a child. After he saw the story of Bian Que inspecting Duke Huan of Qi from historical books, he developed admiration for Bian Que, which also laid the foundation for him to become a famous doctor of a generation.

When he was ten years old, he had already read a lot of books, especially books on medicine. His fellow countryman He Yong appreciated his intelligence and expertise and once said to him, "You will become a good doctor in the future if you use your thinking essence but your rhyme is not high" (Biography of He Yong). Later, Zhang Zhongjing really became a good doctor and was called "the saint of medicine and the ancestor of Fang Zhong." This is of course related to his "use of thinking essence", but it is mainly the result of his love for the medical profession and his good at "diligently seeking ancient teachings and collecting all prescriptions".

When he was young, he studied medicine from Zhang Bozu in the same county. After years of hard research and clinical practice, his medical reputation became famous and he became an outstanding medical scientist in the history of China's medicine.

He was in the turbulent end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. There were years of fighting, and "the people abandoned agriculture." Most of the urban farms became wilderness. The people were displaced, hungry, cold and impoverished. Plagues have broken out continuously in various places, especially in Luoyang, Nanyang, and Kuaiji (Shaoxing)."Every family suffers from zombie pain, and every family suffers from crying;" Zhang Zhongjing's family is no exception. Zhang Zhongjing witnessed his heartbreaking loss at this sad and tragic scene.

It is reported that since the first year of Jian 'an of Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty (196 AD), two-thirds of people died of infectious diseases within ten years, of which typhoid fever accounted for 70%. "Feeling the past, we talk about mourning, but we can't save the injuries caused by death"(Preface of "On Febrile Diseases"). Therefore, he vigorously studied medicine and determined to be a doctor who could relieve the sufferings of the people. "At the top, it is used to cure the diseases of your relatives, at the bottom, it is used to save the sufferings of poverty, and at the middle, it is used to keep your body intact to support your life"(Preface to "On Febrile Diseases").

At that time, there was a man named Zhang Bozu in his clan, who was a very famous doctor. In order to learn medicine, Zhang Zhongjing went to him as a teacher. Seeing that he was smart and studious, and had a hard-working spirit, Zhang Bozu imparted his medical knowledge and medical skills to him without reservation, and Zhang Zhongjing actually passed it on. He Yong once praised in the book "Xiangyang Mansion": "Zhongjing's skills are better than Bozu".

There is a passage in the preface to "Treatise on Typhoid and Miscellaneous Diseases":"Above all, it is used to cure the diseases of the monarch's relatives, secondly, it is used to save the sufferings of the poor, and secondly, it is used to ensure growth and nourish the body." This shows Zhongjing's benevolence and virtue as a medical master. Later generations respectfully called him the "Holy Doctor of Medicine." Medical saint--Zhang Zhongjing (20 photos)

Zhang Zhongjing's hometown is located in Neyang, Nanyang County (now Rangdong Town, Dengzhou City, Henan Province). He was talented and diligent and studious. When he was a boy, he studied medicine in Zhang Bozu, the same county, and he was passed down all of his stories.